The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to the enablement of a Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) Initialization Protocol (FIP) Snooping Bridge (FSB) in Software Defined Networking (SDN) information handling system networks.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems are sometimes utilized with Fibre Channel (FC) protocol networks such as, for example, Storage Area Networks (SANs), in order to provide FC switch devices that route traffic between server devices and storage devices in the SAN. In FC protocol networks, FC switch devices are generally considered “trusted devices,” and devices in the FC protocol network must log into those FC switch devices before they can communicate with the rest of the FC fabric. Because FC links are point-to-point, the FC switch devices have complete control over data traffic allowed on the FC fabric, and operate to enforce zoning configurations, ensure that devices utilize their assigned addresses, and prevent undesired network behaviors.
The Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) protocol increases the flexibility of use of the FC protocol networks by encapsulating FC communications in Ethernet data traffic in order to allow FC communications to be transmitted over Ethernet networks. Such FCoE-enabled systems utilize FCoE forwarder (FCF) devices that are configured to enable the communication between the server devices and storage devices. However, if an Ethernet bridge (e.g., an intermediate switch device) is provided between a server device and the FCF device, the point-to-point assurance present in FC links is lost, and the FCF device does not have the complete authority provided in the FC switch devices discussed above. However, such issues can be remedied if it can be ensured that all FCoE data traffic to and from a server device passes through an FCF device, and that if multiple server devices access the FCF device through a single physical FCF device port, those server devices use their assigned Media Access Control (MAC) addresses. Such action create the equivalent of a point-to-point link between each server device and the FCF device. As such, an FCoE Initialization Protocol (FIP) Snooping Bridge (FSB) in the Ethernet bridge that snoops on FIP packets during the discovery and login phases allows the Ethernet bridge to implement dynamic integrity mechanisms such as Access Control Lists (ACLs) that only permit valid FCoE traffic between the server devices and the FCF device to ensure that only valid FCoE traffic is allowed on the FC fabric.
Many networks are now utilizing Software Defined Networking (SDN) protocols such as the OPENFLOW® protocol, the Open Network Environment provided by CISCO® Systems of San Jose, Calif., United States, the network virtualization platform provided by VMWARE® of Palo Alto, Calif., United States, and/or other SDN protocols known in the art. Software Defined Networking is an approach to computing networking that allows network administrators to programmatically initialize, control, and manage network behavior dynamically via open interfaces and the abstraction of lower-level functionality. This is done primarily by decoupling/disassociating the systems that make decisions about where data traffic is sent (i.e., the control plane) from the underlying systems that forward data traffic to its destination (i.e., the data plane.) In networks operating according to SDN protocols, an SDN controller device manages or controls SDN switch devices to configure those SDN switch devices to route data traffic according to centralized rules, and the SDN switch devices route that data traffic according to those rules. There currently is no mechanism for realizing the functionality of the FSB discussed above in SDN protocol networks, thus preventing the use of SDN on FC networks utilizing FCoE and Ethernet bridges between server devices and a SAN.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an FSB-enabled SDN network.